Howling Hearts
by LauraLarua
Summary: Heartbroken and alone, Bella and Leah find solace in each other's love. But part of Leah will always long for Sam and the only reason Sam broke up with her was because he had imprinted – on Bella. Bella/Leah/Sam.


_A/N: Hey, thanks for clicking. I have to warn you I'm a little rusty on my Twilight canon, so apologies for any inaccuracies. If you like it, please review and let me know! XD_

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Howling Hearts

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* * *

_The sound of her sobs called to him before he even laid eyes on her. Like the ghost of some whimpering waif abandoned out there in the dark of the woods. He stopped and listened. There was already something stirring inside of him. A deep and sourceless sympathy that ignited a wild urge to find her. To find her and make sure she was alright. To make her better._

_He followed the sound of the weeping until he came upon her in the grass. Slumped over the forest floor with her face in her hands. Crying. Her dark hair was spilled all over her shoulders and when she looked up he could see her eyes. They were dark and brimming with tears. Her face was wet and crumpled. She sniffed and wiped her face with her hands. He said something to her. For a long time afterward he would try to remember what it was that he had said but he never would. He knew only that it made her stop crying._

_He offered her a hand and she took it. She stood up and dusted her jeans. She sniffed again. His heart was slamming against his ribcage and when she turned her dark and sparkling eyes back to his he almost howled out loud from the sensations pounding through his veins. He was looking into her eyes and her eyes were changing everything inside him._

_He had imprinted on her._

* * *

It had been two weeks since Sam Uley found Bella in the woods.

School was out and she spent most of her time at home, just being depressed. Barricaded in her room with her iPod playing the piano recordings Edward had composed for her. She hated to be the kind of girl who fell apart over a boyfriend, but it wasn't just a boyfriend she lost. It was also an eternity of bliss and happiness as the immortal mate of a beautiful vampire who loved her. All in all, she felt she was justified in being a little broken up.

Charlie saw it differently. At first he was sympathetic, but when the mood clouds showed no signs of clearing, he became weary and disapproving.

"Jake's been calling the house," he said, one night while they were having dinner. "Is there something wrong with your phone?"

"Nope. Aside from the fact that I'm not answering it."

"Come on, Bells. How long do you intend to be depressed like this?"

"Until it goes away."

"It's not going to as long as you stay cooped up in your room looking at old prom photos."

Bella shrugged a shoulder, poking at her pasta with a fork. Charlie didn't understand and he never could. There was no point even talking about it.

"I was talking to Jake for a bit," he said after a minute or two. "He says they're having some kind of party. At the beach. He wanted to know if you could go along."

"I'm not in a partying mood."

"It wouldn't hurt to spend some time with your friends. You might even have fun."

"I doubt it."

"Bella," Charlie said, putting his fork down and looking at her across the table with a distinct lack of patience. "This may be hard to believe right now, but your life isn't over just because your boyfriend left town. I'm trying to be patient with you, but frankly, your behaviour lately is self-indulgent and ridiculous. You need to grow up."

"You don't understand, dad."

"Then why don't you explain it to me."

Bella heaved a sigh and shrugged helplessly.

"I thought he loved me," she said.

"You're just kids, Bells."

"I thought it was more than that. I thought we were forever."

Charlie nodded reluctantly, as if maybe he understood but not really. "I know that boy meant a lot to you," he said, "but I'm worried about you, Bells. I hate to see you feeling bad all the time."

"I know," Bella whispered.

Charlie exhaled through his nose and took up his fork again. "Listen," he said. "Why don't you go to this party Jake was talking about? It'll do you good."

Bella opened her mouth to make some half-hearted objection, but he went on, almost pleading.

"Please, Bells?"

Bella still didn't reply. But he could tell he was wearing her down and tried one last tactic.

"And, hey," he said, "who knows – maybe you'll meet someone. Jake's always been sweet on you."

Bella gave a very small smile. "I don't think I'll be interested in guys for a long time, dad."

"Well, I won't say that's not something of a relief. You and boys don't mix. But go to this party, okay? At least try to have some fun."

Bella nodded listlessly. To be honest, she didn't really care one way or another. At home or at the beach. Edward was still gone.

"Alright," she said.

* * *

The party was on the weekend, down at La Push. Bella drove in her truck. Already she was wished she stayed home. The regret and depression was lodged in her stomach like a stone and she didn't think she would even be fit for company.

She didn't even know many of the people there, just Jake and a few of his friends. She greeted them with fake smiles and forced laughter. It was already dark and they had a bonfire going on the beach. It was a huge blaze that would've even dimmed the stars in the sky. But there were no stars and it was always overcast in Forks.

She spent most of her time with Jake. Chatting quietly and pretending to have a good time. Bottles of beer were being passed around, but Bella shook her head. She was underage, driving, her dad was the police chief, and she didn't really like the idea of alcohol, anyway.

Someone had bought a football with them and soon a group of boys had composed a game on the beach. Bella could see them from the bonfire where she was sitting on a log. Jake had the ball and she watched him and his friends charge down the beach in the starlight, some of them shirtless despite the cold, tanned and muscular, pounding up plumes of sand behind them like wild horses.

Jake scored and a small round of applause went up from the other girls at the fire. Only two girls didn't react.

Bella and a girl called Leah.

Bella looked at her. She had long dark hair, similar to Bella's, only Bella's was wavy and Leah's was straight. The orange firelight was awash over her face and flames were flickering in the black pools of her eyes. She noticed Bella looking at her and gave Bella a dry look. Bella attempted a smile. Her heart was beating weirdly. She didn't know why. The other girl looked away.

Someone had sat down beside Bella.

Bella turned and was surprised to see Sam Uley. He didn't greet her. He was sitting close enough for conversation, but he only stared at the fire.

"O-oh," she stuttered, unsure if she was supposed to say anything. "Hi. Um…Sam Uley, right? I never got a chance to thank you. For helping me, after…"

"After you were left in the woods by Edward Cullen," he finished for her.

Bella's stomach knotted up at the reminder. And at his callous way of mentioning it.

"Yeah," she said.

"Have you had any contact with him since?"

"No."

"So he won't be returning anytime soon?"

"No," Bella whispered, the knot tightening until she could feel the prickle of tears in her eyes. "He said they're never coming back."

"Good," he said.

He still hadn't looked at her, sitting there on the log with his dark eyes incandesced, gazing into the glowing embers like a young tribal chief. Leah had been glaring at them since he sat down and now she rose abruptly and stalked off into the night.

Bella noticed the movement in the corner of her eye. Several of the other girl's friends watched her go, as if they didn't know why she left so suddenly. Bella watched as well. Another goal was scored in the football game and a loud hooting went up from the players.

Bella turned back to Sam. She frowned at his impassiveness, wondering why he had even sat down if all he wanted to do was upset her. He didn't even seem like the same person who had found her in the forest in her most wretched moment and consoled her under his arm as he guided her back to town.

"Well, I should probably go home," she said. "It's getting late."

He nodded and turned slightly toward her. He might've glimpsed her kneecap as she was getting up, but that was all.

Bella stood at the edge of the football game until Jake noticed her. She was hugging her arms from the cold. He tried to convince her to stay a while, even offering to let her play, but she said she was tired.

It was a long trudge back to the parking lot. It was far down the beach, on the cliffside overlooking the ocean. She walked with her head down, hands in her pockets. When she looked up she saw someone standing at the guardrail.

It was Leah.

Bella approached her truck, but something made her stop. The other girl looked over her shoulder at the scrape of Bella's boots on the asphalt. She had a cigarette in her hand and a thin wisp of smoke was rising into the nightsky. She took a drag of the cigarette, still looking at Bella, and then blew it out again before turning back to the ocean.

Bella went up to her. She was wearing only a black tanktop but she didn't appear to be cold at all.

"Hi," Bella said.

Leah looked at her. Her eyes were sharp and steady and she seemed to be deciding whether or not even to be civil. Finally she nodded.

"Hi," she said.

Bella could smell the smoke by now and she realized it wasn't a cigarette. She could see it, too, and it didn't look machine rolled.

"Is that a joint?" she asked.

Leah looked at the thing between her fingers and looked at Bella. "Yeah," she said. "Why? You gonna tell your dad the police chief?"

"Just curious," Bella said, shaking her head mildly.

The girl looked at her. She put the joint to her lips and inhaled. The tip flared orange. Her eyes flickered down over Bella's clothes and back up to Bella's face. She exhaled and smirked.

"What else are you curious about?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing," she said, grinning. "Want a hit?"

She offered the joint. Bella had a moment of indecision, but only a moment. She took the joint between her thumb and forefinger.

"Make sure you breathe in deeply," the other girl advised.

Bella nodded, the joint between her lips, and inhaled.

Then she burst into a coughing fit.

She covered her mouth with one hand, smoke puffing through her fingers, and struggled to hand back the joint. Leah took it and smiled.

"You okay?" she asked.

Bella nodded and cough a bit more. The smoke seemed to have went into her head. It made her dizzy and warm. She had always wondered what it felt like.

"Yeah," she gasped. "Wow. I actually feel a little better."

"What were you feeling bad about?"

"My boyfriend."

"The one who broke your heart in half and left you catatonic in the woods?"

"Yeah," Bella said, and she actually chuckled once. "That one."

Leah nodded and took another drag. Below them the surf was booming against the rocks in a dull shudder.

"I just had a pretty brutal break up too," Leah said.

"You did?"

"Yeah. You were talking to him back at the fire. Sam Uley."

"Oh. What happened?"

"Who knows. We were dating over a year. Then suddenly he doesn't love me anymore. He says he fell for someone else. Hard. Wouldn't tell me who. Wouldn't tell anyone, and usually there's no secrets at all within the pack."

"Pack?"

"It's what we call our little group. Sometimes I think it's just an excuse he made up so he could dump me."

"That sucks. But I know how it feels, when guys make up excuses. My boyfriend left me for my own good, whatever that's supposed to mean."

"Sam was the same. Apparently it wasn't fair on either of us to stay with me while he had these feelings for someone else. He had to do the Right Thing."

Bella snorted, a touch bitterly. "It's funny how guys always know what's best for you, isn't it? Especially when they're trying to get rid of you."

"Tell me about it," the other girl agreed dryly.

She offered the joint to Bella and Bella took it again. She watched Bella take a hit, smiling, waiting for her to cough. Bella tried mightily not to. The smoke hazed up into her head and a feeling of pleasantness flowed through her as she breathed out.

"Thanks," she said, handing it back.

The joint was down to a little stub. Leah took one last half-hit and then flicked it over the side of the cliff. Bella watched it go in a thing red arc before it disappeared into the foam.

"I really hate guys," Leah said. "If I could go lesbo, I'd do it in a heartbeat."

Bella didn't know what to say to that. Leah smiled at her.

"You?"

"Oh, I don't… I mean, it's not…"

Leah shook her head. She was obviously only joking. She was looking across the parking lot and she nodded at something over there.

"That's your truck, right?"

Bella blinked at her. Truck?

She turned and located the truck with her eyes. She was a little buzzed.

"Yeah," she said.

"Think you could give me a ride home?"

"Um, sure. Am I okay to drive?"

"I'll take my chances. Come on."

They went over to her truck and got in. Bella found it a little difficult to concentrate, but it wasn't only the joint that disorientated her.

It was the other girl, too. For some reason it felt good to be near her, a feeling she hadn't felt since Edward left. A feeling she never thought she would feel again. They rode mostly in silence, aside from Leah giving Bella directions, and there was a strange connection between them, an affinity of the heart broken, like survivors of some disaster.

Leah told her to turn and Bella turned, glancing at her passenger as she did so. It occurred to her that the other girl was very sexy. She had the window open and her black hair was billowing about and her eyes were dark and narrowed against the draft, an elbow on the window sill. Leah noticed her looking and Bella turned back to the road, blushing. It almost felt like she was attracted to her and she reminded herself not to get high again.

Her house was small and shabby looking. Dead lawn. Bella pulled up on the curb and turned off the engine. Leah was unbuckling her seatbelt. Bella waited. The other girl didn't seem to be in any hurry.

"Well, thanks for the ride," Leah said.

Bella nodded. There was a weird tension in the car from how they had kept glancing at each other the whole drive. Leah was looking at her house through the window but she made no move to get out the truck. After a while she turned back to Bella.

"And thanks for listening," she said. "Most of the people I know are pretty tired of my bullshit by now."

Bella chuckled, once, softly. "I know what you mean. My dad keeps telling me to grow up, get over it. He just doesn't—"

"—understand," Leah finished for her, smiling. "Yeah, I know. My mom's the same way. They forget how hard it is to put your heart back together after it's been broken. Me and you got a lot in common, huh?"

"I guess."

Bella nodded. Leah nodded too. They were looking at each other and trying not to. Bella could feel her face heating up. Leah grinned and said:

"Is it just me who has a weird urge to make out right now?"

Bella's heart flipped like a fish. She didn't answer. The other girl laughed and leaned over the gear shift to place a kiss on Bella's cheek. It almost touched the corner of Bella's mouth.

"Thanks again," Leah said, and then she winked and got out the truck.

Bella watched her cross the lawn and disappear into the house. She was sitting there behind the wheel for a full minute before she finally started the truck.

It was still well before midnight when she finally got home. Charlie was still up. Bella found him in the living room, watching TV.

"Hey, Bells," he said. "Did you have fun?"

Bella took a second to ponder the question, fiddling with the car keys in both hands. Leah was the only thing she could think about.

"Well, I wouldn't say I had fun," she said. "But yeah, it was alright."

"Well, one day at a time. You'll feel better eventually, Bells."

"Yeah, maybe I will," she said, nodding vaguely to herself. "Night, dad."

"Night, Bells."

I went upstairs and went to bed.

I laid awake a long time.

I was still thinking about that girl I met.

Leah.


End file.
